The G diminished chord (G dim or G°) contains the notes G, Bb and Db. It is produced by taking the 1st, flat 3rd and flat 5th notes of the G Major scale.
G diminished often appears as G dim or G°.
The diminished chord played by itself has a dissonant sound. This is largely due to the existence of the tritone interval, which is otherwise known as the devil’s interval. The G diminished chord contains a tritone between the notes G and Db.
Even though the G diminished chord sounds dissonant on its own, it can sound beautiful when played in the right context. Pairing the G diminished chord with the A flat Major chord, for example, creates a sense of tension and release, which works well. A good exercise is to switch between the G diminished chord and the Ab Major chord and hear for yourself how this sounds
10 Ways To Play The G Diminished Chord
If you’ve come to this page just to view some chord diagrams for G diminished, here they are.
Some Quick G Diminished Chord Theory
- The G diminished chord contains the notes G, Bb and Db.
- The G diminished chord is produced by taking the 1 (root), b3 and b5 of the G Major scale.
- The G diminished chord (just like all diminished chords) contains the following intervals (starting from the root note): minor 3rd, minor 3rd, tritone (which leads back to the root note).
- G diminished resolves naturally to the Ab chord.
- G diminished can be written as G dim or G°.
- The G locrian scale can be used when soloing over the G diminished chord.
Further Reading
